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Matthew Shipp / Chad Fowler - Old Stories - 2CD2 CDs A duo is such a specific format, and I've done a lot of them, reflects Matthew Shipp, one of New York's premier improvisational pianists for the past 40 years, who's worked with the likes of David S. Ware, Roscoe Mitchell, William Parker, Ivo Perelman and many others. I really relish the raw interaction of a duo. It's kind of a discipline a very specific thing. It can present a whole dramatic compositional puzzle. And to be sure, he considers
2 CDs“A duo is such a specific format, and I've done a lot of them,” reflects Matthew Shipp, one of New York's premier improvisational pianists for the past 40 years, who's worked with the likes of David S. Ware, Roscoe Mitchell, William Parker, Ivo Perelman and many others. “I really relish the raw interaction of a duo. It's kind of a discipline — a very specific thing. It can present a whole dramatic compositional puzzle.” And to be sure, he considers purely extemporaneous improvisation to be an act of composition as much as anything. It's no accident that the pianist, associated with so-called free jazz for most of his life, sees Duke Ellington, a composer's composer, as a key inspiration.
Ellington was a fortuitous touchstone for Shipp to bring to his recent collaboration with Arkansas-based saxophonist Chad Fowler on Old Stories, their new album of duets on Mahakala Music. For his part, Fowler brought to the sessions a longstanding fascination with Ellington sideman (and alto saxophone pioneer) Johnny Hodges, though, like Shipp, this is expressed obliquely through Fowler's work with avant garde luminaries like Alvin Fielder, Douglas Ewart and Parker.
It was the latter bassist who indirectly brought Shipp and Fowler together. “I met Matt just last year at the Vision Festival, the free jazz event that William Parker and his wife run,” says Fowler. “I knew his music well, but I'd never met him in person. We ended up standing together, watching William Parker's band.” Sensing they were kindred spirits, they immediately made arrangements for a session at Park West Studios in Brooklyn.
Indeed, the duets heard on Old Stories comprise their first real interaction. “I think I talked to him on the phone for two minutes about the logistics,” recalls Fowler. “We barely even said hello before we started. And I think it shaped the session. He was in there playing Ellington tunes when I arrived, warming up. Really swinging, beautiful ballads. And then we just started recording. We never discussed anything beforehand. By far the longest conversation we had ever had was the musical conversation in the studio that day.”
That suited Shipp just fine. “We just started,” he recalls. “Jim Clouse the engineer said, 'Rolling,' and that was it. After every track, we'd take a second and we'd look at each other. Then, 'Are we on?' 'Yeah, you're on.' And we'd start again.” Having said that, Shipp notes that both players brought their musicianship to bear on every second, every beat. “You kind of just know, 'Okay, we've done this, this and this, so it's probably time to do something like this, texture-wise, because we haven't covered that. That process takes on a life of its own, and it just flows from there. Like, whoever does the first attack, the other is thinking, 'How is this piece going? What are we going to explore?' And that information is conveyed instantly at the beginning. That takes a lot of experience and musicianship.”
The tracks that emerged reveal two acute compositional minds at work in real time. “I consider myself a conceptualist and a musical thinker who is always going towards the coherence,” Shipp notes. “Even in what might be perceived as the most free form settings. Music is language, and any language has its own internal logic, its own internal waveform generating itself. If you're telling a story, which is what jazz is supposed to be about, you're dealing with a real internal language. And if it's an honest expression, you'll make sentences of sorts. Paragraphs.”
And, true to the album's title, these stories are weathered and worn, owing to the century-old reference points both players rely on. Yet there's tension in their contrasting approaches as well. “I get the sense that Chad's played a lot of R&B,” says Shipp. “I hear the Southern aspects of his playing. I also hear a lot of the second generation avant garde. I play mostly with East Coast, New York style players, and even though he's obviously capable of hanging in that realm, and does, he is a little different.”
Fowler fully embraces the Southern flavors he's steeped in. “I grew up musically playing in Memphis with R&B bands, listening to Hi Records all the time. It used to be my goal to play sax the same way Al Green sings when he improvises. Even when playing completely raucous, noisy stuff, I think you can hear that I come from a blues sort of background.”
That, in turn, goes hand in hand with the respect both players have for the sounds of the jazz age, starting with Fowler's choice of instrument. Unlike most alto players, he favors an archaic straight alto, which Rahsaan Roland Kirk called a “stritch,” and the similarly shaped saxello. “Having a weird instrument changes my mindset when I play, in a way that I think is good,” Fowler says. “It's nice to think of it as not being a saxophone.”
And so, even amidst wailing, textural approaches, both players are capable of a lyricism that's not always associated with free playing. “Chad's a great musician — very responsive and sensitive. I hear a lot of Johnny Hodges in his playing,” says Shipp. “I asked him about that afterwards, and he said that's one of his favorite musicians. There's a lot of Duke Ellington in my playing, especially when I use really elegant chord voicings, and I hear Chad responding to that.”
Which brings us back to the musical coherence of these exploratory recordings. As Fowler reflects, “To me, this session, more than anything I've ever done, feels like composed songs. And I literally mean songs, because there are melodies and form and development. The track called 'Chapter 8,' which is the only piece where I play the saxcello, really sounds like we're reading written notes off a page.”
To Shipp, the title of the album and the chapters comprising it match the music perfectly. “It's a narrative,” he says. “A novel of sorts. And even if your story is new, it's a rearranging of elements. All the new stories are old, in some ways. We seem to have been prepared for it, somehow. It was a real delight. Between the freshness of a new encounter and being prepared, that balance is really there. That's what makes it vibrant and exciting for me.”
Or, as Fowler puts it, “When you listen to it, it feels like we already knew each other, like we're old friends, even though we had barely talked to each other before that. So it felt like the old shared stories that we tell, that reference events that neither of us has experienced.”
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4.7 ★★★★★
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★★★★★ 5
GQ KIDS...For the love of being FLY!
Size: 8, Color: Sky Blue
I am highly suggesting this suit for purchase because the color alone is a standout and will have people asking where did you get the suit from? The length of the bowtie is adjustable, the color is bright and lively, the fabric is pure quality. You can run a hot iron over it or a steamer to get the fold lines out of it from how it was packaged, but it seems that even if you just hung it up in the bathroom while running a hot shower, the wrinkling would drop. I think the purchase price is good for all that you get which is a quality blazer, great slacks and a bowtie. It's a one stop shop for a graduation event, dinner, a formal party or even a photoshoot. My nephew wears a size 7 or 6-8, so I ordered a size 8 to be safe and it fits nicely.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2026
★★★★★ 4
Cute sky blue linen suit for toddler!
Size: 3, Color: Sky Blue, Size: 3, Color: Sky Blue
I got this Trasign Kids Linen Suit in sky blue for my 2 year old, thinking my wife said “blue” (turns out she meant navy or something darker 😅). I actually really like the light, airy sky blue. It’s fresh, summery, and looks adorable on him for photos or special occasions. My wife? Not so much. She immediately said “baby blue ugly” 😅😅
On the plus side:
• Soft fabric – linen blend feels gentle and breathable on little skin, no itchiness or stiffness.
• Nicely packaged – arrived with very little wrinkling (barely needed steaming), which is a win for linen.
• Good fit for a toddler – true to size, easy to button, and the shorts/pants have adjustable waist for growing kids.
• Looks sharp once on – the set gives that classic little gentleman vibe without feeling over the top.
It’s a quality piece overall, just a classic case of “what one spouse loves, the other doesn’t” on the color. If sky blue works for your family (or you’re shopping solo like me 🤣), it’s a solid buy.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Summer wedding kids suit
Color: Navy, Size: 10 Years, Color: Navy, Size: 10 Years
Bought this suit for my son in the 10 youth size and honestly was pleasantly surprised by the quality for the price. The navy color looks sharp and dressy without being too stiff or uncomfortable. The material has a little stretch, which helped it fit nicely and made it comfortable for him to move around in.
The adjustable waist was a huge plus, especially for growing kids. It fit true to size overall, though the blazer sleeves were slightly long on my son. The pants had a nice slim look without being too tight. We paired it with white sneakers for a more modern look and it came out adorable.
This would be perfect for weddings, graduations, concerts, communion, school events, or family photos. Overall, very happy with the purchase and would definitely buy again.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Very Modern Handsome Suit
Color: Grey, Size: 7 Years, Color: Grey, Size: 7 Years
This is an incredibly sharp looking suit for the little guy. Great price and features, too. I made a mistake in sizing up instead of down and first one was too sloppy on him and would need alterations. He is thin and very thin in the waist. There is a lot of adjustment with buttons in waistband and coat hides the bunching. This shirt and coat will easily take a fuller body than slim I believe. He loves posing in it and feels very classy. Best purchase for a formal suit that will last longer than most kids clothes size wise. Felt bad about returning but careful folding and packing got it good as new.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Quality
Color: Black, Size: 7 Years, Color: Black, Size: 7 Years
Excellent quality, My son looks incredible
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2026
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